Your Story Could Change A Life

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“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.’” 

Mark 16:15

“My wife didn’t grow up in a Christian home. To this day, her parents are still not Christians. 

When she was 22, a friend invited her to church, and for the first time, my wife heard the Gospel. That day, she gave her heart to Jesus. God immediately changed her life. 

Overwhelmed by the beauty of God’s saving grace and the new life she had been given, my wife was admittedly mad. She was angry with her Christian friends.  

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked them. “I’ve been struggling for so long. I’ve been completely miserable. This is such a better way to live. Why did you never tell me about Jesus?” 

Evangelism is an important part of God’s plan. It’s our job as believers to look for opportunities to share the love of Jesus with the people around us.  

What if the person sitting beside you in the cubicle at work doesn’t know who Jesus is? What if the waitress at your favorite restaurant needs a healing but doesn’t know the Healer? What if your next-door neighbor has never experienced the life-changing power of Christ? 

You might not know what someone else is going through, but you can know with certainty that everybody’s going through something. You might not have the full story, but God does, and He can use even a short, honest conversation to change someone’s life. 

As the church, it’s our job to tell somebody. You don’t have to deliver an eloquent speech. You don’t have to be a gifted public speaker. Words don’t have to be your strong suit. All you have to do is share what God’s done in your own life.  

Then you’ll be living out a very important part of the plan God has for you. Watch how walking in this kind of obedience to His word will change your life and the lives of those around you!” 

— Danny Gokey

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The Road Back To Peace

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“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” 

Hebrews 13:8

My son tugged at my shirt, his tear-streaked face looking up at me, searching for reassurance. I bent down, wrapping him in my arms. 

“It’s gonna be okay, honey,” I whispered. 

And the second I said it, I felt the weight of those words. Because I remembered a time when I was not so sure. 

I grew up in church. I knew all the right things to say and all the right things to believe. But when I got hurt—really hurt—by people who claimed to follow Jesus, it shook something in me. Suddenly, I didn’t feel safe anymore. 

By the time I got to college, I wasn’t sure what I believed. I listened as people dissected faith, calling it outdated. And little by little, I started wondering if maybe they were right. 

So I went looking for the truth.  

I read, studied, and explored different religions, hoping one of them would bring me peace. But the more I searched, the more lost I felt. 

And then, one night, I hit my lowest point. 

I was tired. Empty. Done. And in that moment, with nothing left to give, I prayed the most desperate prayer of my life. 

“Jesus, if You are real, I need You.” 

And in that moment, I knew. He was there restoring and uplifting me. 

It wasn’t an argument that convinced me. It wasn’t a philosophy that finally made sense. It was a peace that wrapped around me that could only have come from Him. 

Now, holding my son, I breathed in that same peace, kissed his forehead, and whispered again. 

“It’s gonna be okay, honey.” 

And I knew, beyond any doubt, that it really would be. 

— Tasha Layton

 

Lyrics “Never”

Verse 1
When this broken world is breaking me down
When my tears and knees both fall to the ground
When my questions make me doubt You more than ever
You remind me that Your answer is always “never…”

Chorus
Never forgotten
Never forsaken
Never abandoned
Not for a second
I am safe in Your hands
Always and forever
You’re never not working
My heart is the proof
There’s not a broken too broken for You
Will there ever come a day when You’re not holding me together?
You say “never”

Verse 2
Every single time I look back I see
There’s never been a promise You didn’t keep
You don’t waste the wounds, You use them for the better
When it comes to You Your answer’s always, “never ”

REPEAT CHORUS

Bridge
You never let me down
No, You never let me down
When did You ever let me down?
Never, No Never

You never let me down
No, You never let me down
When did You ever let me down?
Never

REPEAT CHORUS

Outro
You say “never”
You say “never”

You never let me down
When did you ever let me down?
Oh, never
Never!

Written by Tasha Layton, AJ Pruis, Keith Everette Smith, Matthew West

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God Never Lets Go

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“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

Romans 8:38-39

Some roads feel endless. No matter how far you have come, it feels like you are just as far from where you are going. 

I know that kind of road well. 

I glance over at my husband, one hand steady on the wheel, the other resting within reach. I slip my fingers into his, and without looking, he gives them a squeeze. It is a small thing, but it anchors me by reminding me of where I have been and who never let me go. 

Because my road has not been straight.  

I was sixteen when I knew, without a doubt, that I was called to music and ministry. But Hurt has a way of shaking what you thought was solid. And when the hurt came from the place I thought was safest—the church—I started questioning everything. 

I kept going, though. I pressed into music even when the pain echoed through the notes I sang. For years, I ran toward success, touring, performing, and standing in front of thousands, but the bigger the stage, the heavier my heart felt. 

And then, finally, I had to stop. 

I thought stepping back from the spotlight was the end of my story, but it turned out to be the beginning of healing. And then there was him. 

My husband never pushed me, but he never let me disappear completely. He just held on and reminded me both who I was and who God was. 

I squeeze his hand again, and this time, I smile.  

Because that’s the thing about love—the real kind. It doesn’t let go. 

And neither does God. 

Maybe you have walked away, too. Maybe the weight of past wounds has convinced you to stop believing. But let me tell you this—God hasn’t given up on you. 

His hand is still there, waiting for you to take hold. 

– Tasha Layton

 

Lyrics “Worship Through It”

This looks impossible
But You’re the God of impossible
And I’ve seen your faithfulness all over my life
I need a miracle
And You’re the God of miracles
Some way, somehow You come through every time

Chorus
I know my God can do it
So, I’m gonna worship through it
Before I see my breakthrough
I’m gonna choose to praise You

I will sing hallelujah to the one
Who can do what the world says can’t be done
I know my God can do it
So, I’m gonna worship through it

In the middle of my no way out
In the middle of my don’t know how
I hear You whisper to me “peace be still”
This is why I believe
You will deliver me
You always have and you always will
You always have and you always will

I won’t wait ‘til the rocks cry out
I’m gonna praise You
I won’t wait till the walls come down
I’m gonna praise You
(Gonna) Lift my hands right here, right now
I’m gonna praise You
Oh God I praise You!

Written by Tasha Layton, Keith Everette Smith, Matthew West, AJ Pruis

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God Believes in You

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“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Romans 8:31

The idea that we are supposed to believe in God is a pretty common one. But what about the idea that God believes in you?

Some years ago, I was walking through a season of discouragement and doubt. One evening, I went to church searching for a touch from God. The service consisted of great worship and solid teaching, but I didn’t get anything out of it and left feeling even more defeated.

I questioned God’s love for me. Why had He not shown up in the way I needed? Deepening darkness crept in and I cried out from the depths of my heart with a simple, desperate prayer.

“Lord, please help me! If you don’t help me now, I’m not sure I’ll recover.”

The response I heard in my spirit shocked me. “I believe in you.”

Did God really believe in me? And if so, what did that mean?

I searched the scriptures and began to realize that in the same way a parent believes in a child, God believes in His children. He created us in His image and likeness, entrusting the Earth to our care.

You don’t entrust something to someone you don’t believe in. While we failed in the garden, and have failed time and time again throughout history, He still chose to give His only Son so we could partner with Him in the fulfillment of His will.

The reality is God could have done all of this by Himself, but instead, He calls us higher, uniquely gifting each of us to represent Him. The good news is, we don’t have to do this in our own strength.

No matter how difficult things might seem, God is still for you. God believes in you. God is counting on you. Will you let that truth sink into your heart so deeply that it not only changes your own life but also compels you to carry that message of hope to others who need to hear it?

—Danny Gokey

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Praise in Every Storm

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“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

Romans 8:18

Ten-year-old Erin Browning danced with joy. Her small frame moved gracefully to the steps she choreographed to the Casting Crown’s song. The band’s lead singer, Mark, met Erin and her mother, Laurie, in the middle of the girl’s fight with cancer.

The mom’s faith was unlike anything he had seen before. She wept openly, asked hard questions, and even wrestled with anger. Yet, through her raw emotions, she chose to trust God.

After Erin passed, Mark sat alone with his guitar. He let the weight of it all wash over him. He could still hear Laurie’s words. She confessed no matter how dark life got, she knew God was still good, and His love still held the world together.

As Mark strummed his guitar, lyrics began to flow as a song took shape.

“And I’ll praise You in this storm, and I will lift my hands.

For You are who You are, no matter where I am,

And every tear I’ve cried, You hold in Your hand.

You never left my side, and though my heart is torn,

I will praise You in this storm.”

The song became an anthem that reminds us that worship is not confined to perfect moments. It is choosing to trust when the world feels like it is falling apart.

What would it look like for you to trust God in the hardest moments of your life? Could your faith tell a story of praise, even when it hurts?

 

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Find New Life in Jesus

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“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me,though he die, yet shall he live.”

John 11:25

THE HEART ❤️ OF THE ARTIST:

Have you ever thought about the fact that the primary way that God chose to reveal Himself to us is through story? I think God chose to do this because He knows us best.

One of my favorite stories comes from the dramatic scene in John where Jesus finds Himself at the tomb of His best friend, Lazarus. By the time Jesus got there, Lazarus had been dead for four days.

In Jewish tradition, the soul would hover over the body for three days, but on the fourth, there would be no more hope for any reversal of the loss. This little cultural detail sets up the story to show Jesus faced with an impossible situation.

Surrounded by weeping family and friends, Jesus calls out…'”Lazarus, come out! Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

This is our story! Apart from Jesus, you and I are without hope, without life, and without promise. No matter how far gone we think we are, we can all still hear the powerful and authoritative voice of Jesus calling out to us.

“(insert your name here), come out! Take off the grave clothes and be free!”

Because, just like Lazarus, He has called us back to life!

– Phil Wickham – 

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A Walk in the Park with God

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“The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.”

Psalm 145:18

THE HEART ❤️ OF THE ARTIST:

Phil Wickham tugged his jacket tighter as the cool breeze swept through the park. His wife Mallory laughed softly at something he said, her hand brushing his as their dogs trotted ahead on their leashes.

This was their time—a sacred pause in the chaos of the day.

As they talked, Phil’s thoughts wandered to another walk—a far older one. He imagined God in the Garden of Eden, walking with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. No agenda, no rush, just perfect relationship.

That picture stayed with him. Wasn’t that what God wanted all along? A relationship built not on rituals but on the sharing of life through unhurried conversations.

Prayer, he thought, was supposed to feel like this. It was not about perfection or formality. It was about showing up and being real, even about the messy parts of life.

The God who shaped the stars and painted the sky longed to hear from him. Some days, his prayers were as simple as, “That was hard, God,” or “Can You believe today?” And every time, he felt God’s presence, as if He had been waiting for that moment all along.

As they turned back toward home, Phil resolved to stay intentional, not just with Mallory but with God. Because the same God who walked with Adam and Eve is still waiting—for him, and for all of us—to take that first step.

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